These guys inspire me. When I was doing a lot of weight training a couple of years ago, I did as a vegan. I wanted to be really built. :) Unfortunately, I came down with extreme personal issues and then a really bad illness (nothing to do with the diet or training), and then was desk-ridden for years, so all that's gone down the wayside. I'm seriously thinking of starting it all up again.

I saw a show on French Savate fighting on Discovery, TLC, or National Geographic (one of those good ones.) It's an extraordinarily demanding sport. It goes way beyond other martial arts and bodybuilding! You have to be tough and super agile and very strong!

That's great to hear. One thing I liked about living in (actually near) Woodstock NY, was the "No Fast Food Establishments in the Town" law they have on the books over there. They don't have any in the town, and they never will. People that want fast food there literally have to drive about 15 or 20 miles to Kingston, NY to get any of that junk. When there in none available, everyone benefits.

I personally am "sick" of all the garbage on the sides of the road here. When I run I can see that about 60% (or more) of the garbage on the sides of the road are wrappers, bags, french fry cartons, and cups from fast food places. Maybe it's closer to 80% >:(

Dave, don't a few communities charge or tax the fast food places for the extra trash cleanup? I seem to remember reading that somewhere.... hmm, it may have just been a local proposition or something.Good for the people of Devon for not giving McD's their business!

that's so awesome. it really proves that you don't have to fight the institution so much as as you just have to do bigger and better than them... yeay for healthy food options! yeay for our much touted capitalism *finally* working the way it's supposed to! i decided last year that i really want to open a vegan cafe, and that story has increased my determination that much more... everyone who's ever thought of opening a cafe or resturant, DO it... free the people from crappy, fatty, cruel food!

Dave-re woodstock, ny while they won't allow big fast food companies to move in there, they did take away the town's only supermarket (grand union) and turned it into a Big Name drug store..right across from another drug store....

It was a huge fight with the residents as well..they didn't want Big Name Drug Store in their town and they got it anyway. I remember it was a huge protest and a big fight.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear in a few years that a Subway, Panera or something like that opened up.

I was a weekend resident over in Tinker Village for a few years. I miss that place.

I remember that Majicka. That is when I lived there. There were protesters there everyday with their BOYCOT/STOP CVS signs. They even had those signs posted 20 miles away near the thruway and down Rt 209. I have to say that the Grand Union in town sucked. I never shopped there. There was (and still is) a pretty good health food store natural market right across the street. Their stuff is mostly organic and their prices were about the same as GU...way too high! I just think that as a town Woodstock has done better then about 99% of the other townships across the US in keeping big named retailers out.

I miss it there too. Great food, cool people, pretty scenery, world class art and music, great hiking nearby, etc...I just got tired of the snow, and more snow, followed by even MORE snow all winter long. I had my driveway plowed so much that the pile near the end was about 20' at the end of the winter. It was still melting in JUNE!

I personally am "sick" of all the garbage on the sides of the road here. When I run I can see that about 60% (or more) of the garbage on the sides of the road are wrappers, bags, french fry cartons, and cups from fast food places. Maybe it's closer to 80% >:(

I was thinking the other day....when is the last time anyone saw a Larabar wrapper, or an ABC cookie bag floating down the side of the road? Just doesn't happen!

Being that you said that little2ant, I just realized that I never see any water bottles either. Just Coke, Mountain Dew, and really cheap beer cans.....

What is also sad is when I see (in the middle of the road) a bag full of half eaten fast food. I'll notice it when I am leaving my "neck of the woods" only to see upon my return late at night a possum or raccoon run over because they were too tempted by the smell to leave the "garbage" alone. Funny that I have NEVER hit an animal in the road and see dead ones everyday (well not really funny, sad actually). I guess the other drivers around here don't have the same "swerve to avoid a living thing in the road" reflexes I do. >:(

Funny that I have NEVER hit an animal in the road and see dead ones everyday (well not really funny, sad actually). I guess the other drivers around here don't have the same "swerve to avoid a living thing in the road" reflexes I do. >:(

I have never hit anything either! I come to screeching halts almost every day to avoid squirrels, and I have never hit one. I see tons of them hit near my road all the time though. Its not that hard to avoid!

Funny that I have NEVER hit an animal in the road and see dead ones everyday (well not really funny, sad actually). I guess the other drivers around here don't have the same "swerve to avoid a living thing in the road" reflexes I do. >:(

I have never hit anything either! I come to screeching halts almost every day to avoid squirrels, and I have never hit one. I see tons of them hit near my road all the time though. Its not that hard to avoid!

It is at night! Especially if you're going 65 miles an hour down a rural road! Tragic, but sometimes it just can't be helped. Deer don't have any depth perception and they will run right in front of you. I hit a cat once years ago. Ran right in front of my and I braked hard but still hit him. Paid his vet bill and adopted him and he lived with my parents for a few years until he disappeared one day.

On the other hand, my mother to this day still claims that our Crocker Spaniel that got killed by a hit and run driver was hit deliberately. She saw it happen so I believe her. That some a**hole would murder such a beautiful dog still makes me want to cry.